Overshadowed by the John Edwards endorsement is the fact that Barack Obama spent the day campaigning in Michigan and talking about jobs.

“Now, when John McCain came to Michigan in January and said that we couldn’t bring all these jobs back to America, he was right. But where he’s wrong is in suggesting that there’s nothing we can do to replace those jobs or create new ones. Where he’s wrong is in not offering new solutions or economic policies that are different from what George Bush has given us for eight long years. That’s wrong. That’s giving up. And that’s not what this country is about,” Obama said.

Obama talked about creating jobs for, and keeping jobs in, Michigan, “I won’t stand here and tell you that we’ll be able to stop every job from going overseas or bring every job back. But I will tell you that we can end the Bush-McCain policy of giving tax breaks to companies that ship our jobs overseas, and we can start giving those tax breaks to companies that create good-paying jobs right here in America. Instead of opposing job training similar to what’s being offered at M-Tech, like John McCain has, we can make sure every American has the skills to compete in the global economy. We don’t have to stand idly by while foreign competitors outpace us in making the cars of the future. I’m running for President to make sure that the cars of the future are made where they’ve always been made – right here in Michigan. Because the fight for American manufacturing is the fight for America’s future – and I believe that’s a fight this country will win.”

Barack Obama came to Ohio and Pennsylvania and spoke about hope and a new economy, but he never seemed to understand the language of jobs. He lost both states because he couldn’t connect with the voters on their most important issue. He went to Indiana and sharpened his message about the economy and jobs. Consequently, he came within an eyelash of winning the Hoosier State.

For voters in what is known as the Rust Belt, jobs are always the number one issue. In Michigan today, Barack Obama proved once again that he is nothing if not a quick study. The Edwards endorsement fits right into this emphasis on jobs because nobody outside of Hillary Clinton understands the language of blue collar Democrats better than John Edwards.

I don’t think Obama is in as much trouble in places like Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania as some pundits believe. If Obama campaigns hard in these states, and shifts from a message of hope to a message of jobs, he will do just fine.

The evolution and growth of Obama as a candidate has been amazing to watch. The man rarely makes the same mistake twice. We all knew that he had the talent to become president, but what we have also found out is that he has the skills to match.